Book 22

 

Through the Bible with Les Feldick

LESSON 3 * PART 4 * BOOK 22

ROMANS 6 & 7

You know as we teach we hope you are beginning to understand, and enjoy The Bible. We’ve come to the place where I think that too many people just rely on what people have written, and maybe within their denominational confines, and they are so totally unaware of so many of these Scriptural truths. And, of course, that’s what thrills us when we hear from you that you’re just beginning to understand and see things that you have never seen before. We are even getting letters from pastors who are enjoying our teachings. Now turn with me to Chapter 7 again and we’ll try to finish the chapter, or at least get close to finishing it in this lesson. In our last lesson we finished at verse 14, where Paul now is reconstructing how he had to deal with the old Adam as he came under that conversion experience when he met Christ on the road to Damascus. And now he comes to the conclusion in verse 14:

Romans 7:14

“For we know that the law is spiritual (absolutely. When I say we’re not under Law, but rather under Grace it isn’t because the Law has lost it’s spiritual power, or condition, absolutely it’s spiritual, it is the very mind of God so far as mankind is concerned): but I am carnal, sold under (the old Adamic nature or under) sin.”

And as I made my closing remarks in the last lesson that when Adam fell, when Adam sinned, he plunged the whole human race into that condition, and, consequently, Christ had to die in order to bring fallen mankind back to Himself. And so lest some get rather judgmental toward God, and I know people do, “Well, how in the world could God call me a sinner because of what Adam did 6000 years ago?” Well, I can’t answer that, but I just know that God’s mind is higher than our minds, and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts, and this is the way that He Sovereignly set it all in motion: that He put Adam and Eve in the Garden, and gave them one simple responsibility – that they not eat of that one tree, and it was just merely a means of testing to see if they could remain obedient. There wasn’t anything that wicked in the fruit, but it was a means of testing. And Adam flunked totally, so he ate, and again a Sovereign God declared that now that Adam had sinned then all his offspring would inherit that sin nature.

So you see this is what we try to teach when we show that the blood circulatory system of the fetus, as the mother carries it, is never touched by the mother’s blood, and that is what gives rise to the virgin birth. Mary could carry the child Jesus and her blood never course through His veins. But the circulatory system of every human fetus originates with the father. And so also with Christ in His virgin birth, His blood system originated with the Father, and so it was divine, sinless blood contrary to those of us who are the offspring of Adam. So every child of Adam then is sold under the curse, he’s under that old Adam. As we come into verse 15, we come to verses that are sometimes hard to understand. Maybe it will help if you understand that now Paul is writing as the believer who now has reckoned old Adam as he’s been teaching, crucified, dead, but he is still left as an influence even in our Christian life.

Now I know there are two ways of looking at this, and I still maintain what I’ve always taught, that old Adam is crucified, he’s declared dead in the mind of God. In other words the moment you and I believe the Gospel (Reference I Corinthians 15:1-4) God saw you and I in the Person of Christ on the Cross. Now, of course, God has to be the Omnipotent, Omniscient God that He is or that wouldn’t be possible, but it is possible because with Him nothing is impossible. And so God saw every true believer in Christ, as He hung on that Cross. As we saw back in Chapter 6, He saw us in Christ in the grave. As Christ was buried, we were buried. He saw us in Christ when He rose in Resurrection power and so we also are resurrected in newness of life. And now Paul comes in explaining all of this from that believers point of view that, yes, we still have to wrestle against the influence of that old Adamic nature, even though God has reckoned it as crucified. God has declared it dead, but from experience we’d better realize he is still with us. He is defeated and has been placed under subjection of a new nature that has come in by virtue of the power of God. But, here’s where we all find ourselves, even as believers.

Romans 7:15

“For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that I do not; but what I hate, that do I.” Isn’t that confusing? But it really isn’t because he’s talking about these two natures. Now let me show you a verse that probably clarifies that even a little better. Turn to Galatians, Chapter 5 and drop down to verse 16 and 17.

Galatians 5:16,17

“This I say then, `walk in the Spirit (now you remember when we talked about our position in Christ? That when we became believers we were baptized into the Body of Christ and that’s now our position. We are in Christ. He is still alluding to that same position doctrinally),… and you shall not fulfil (or live after) the lust of the flesh.'”

Now again, who is the flesh? Old Adam! In other words, if we walk according to the position that God has given us, we’re not going to give in to the demands of old Adam. Now I always like to qualify the word `position.’ When you take the president of a great corporation, or the president of the United States of America, that presidency has been held by many different people. But it’s the position that we recognize. In other words, I can’t name all the past presidents of General Motors. But I can allude to the president’s position of General Motors. The same way with the White House. We can name certain presidents, but I imagine very few of us can name all of them. But we’re all aware of the fact that America has never been without a president. The position has always been filled by someone. Now, it’s the same way with our position in Christ. It is a position and we are to live in accord with that position, just like we expect people in important places to live in accordance with that position. And when they don’t, we’re disappointed. And, of course, God can be, too. So walk in the Spirit, that position of being in Christ, and then you’ll not give in to the old desires of old Adam. Now verse 17, and I think this proves my point.

Galatians 5:17

“For the flesh (old Adam) lusteth (or warreth) against the Spirit, and the Spirit (that is the indwelling Spirit, that is part of us now) against the flesh (old Adam).”

Do you see that now? I’m sure you’ve all heard the little anecdote that I heard way back when I was a kid. I’ve heard it umpteen times since then and I’ve repeated it because it is so apropos. There was an old fellow, who had lived a life of degradation and had become an alcoholic and spent the good portion of his life in the tavern or bar. Then one day The Lord saved him miraculously and his whole life took on a new meaning. But the poor old fellow had to go by that bar every day to go get his mail. And so he was rehearsing with a friend of his one day, and he said, “You know, every time I start to go past that old hangout, it’s just like two little dogs inside are having a rip-roaring fight. A little black dog is fighting against the little white dog. They fight tooth and toenail. The little black dog says `Go inside, go back to your old lifestyle.'” The little white dog says, “Go get the mail.” And the friend asks, “Well, which one of the dogs win?” And he says, “The one I feed the best!” Well, you see that’s so typical. The little dog that is fed best is the one that’s going to be victorious. It’s a good anecdote. But that’s exactly where we find ourselves.

Now if we’re going to feed old Adam with all the lustful desires of this world, who is going to be victorious? Old Adam. But if we keep Adam starved and keep feeding the Spirit side, that’s where victory comes in. And this is why we have to stay in The Book. You know, people think they can go to church twice a year and maintain their Christianity. Impossible! You can’t survive physically eating twice a year, nor can you survive spiritually eating twice a year. It has to be a constant refurbishing, or nourishing that inner man, the Spirit of God, and we do that from The Book. And this is what enhances our whole spiritual life. Just feeding on the Word of God, fellowship with fellow believers, prayer time and all these things that make up what we call the Christian life. So we have this warfare between the old Adam and the new. Now let’s go back to Chapter 7 and maybe you can see what the poor old apostle is up against. He’s just as human as we are remember.

Romans 7:15a

“For that which I do I allow not:….”

Now let’s break it down. What he lets old Adam do, the Spirit side says, “It’s wrong. Don’t do this.” And then he says the other side of the coin is that which I do not, that’s what I do. Do you see it. And it’s the same that we are in our Christian experience. The things that we know that we should not do we’re constantly finding ourselves doing, when we’re in defeat. And the things that we should do, are so easy to make excuses for: “I’m too tired. I’m going to stay home tonight. I’m not going to go to Bible Study.” And this is exactly how it works. Now let’s go on.

Romans 7:16

“If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.”

All he is doing is rebelling against the good statements of the Law. But old Adam says “Forget the Law, that’s God’s side – we’re anti-God.” I’ve pointed out over the years (and you have to agree with me because it’s so simple), everything that God says in this Book for mankind to do, for his own good, what does most of mankind do? The opposite! Everything that this Book warns us not to do, what does mankind in general do? They do it! In fact that’s one of the famous cliches lately isn’t it? Well, just do it! Don’t worry about whether it’s right or wrong, just do it. That’s the old Adamic nature working and taking sway of a life when God’s word says this is harmful, this is going to bring you nothing but sorrow and heartache. But Satan and the old nature say, “Do it.” Everybody else is. Does that make it right? No. So we have to go by what the Scripture says and then not give in to old Adam but keep him under control. As Paul says, “I then do not beat the air but I’m going to keep my body under control.” Now verse 17.

Romans 7:17

“Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.”

As a believer, when I do things that I know are wrong, it’s not the true “I” that I’ve now become, in Christ, but who is going to do it? Old Adam. Do you see that.? Now, I’m almost running that term into the ground. I’ll be off of it as soon as we get to Chapter 8, but until then I’m going to keep driving it home. That old Adam is the source of all our problems. That old sin nature. Now that goes back to what I said a little bit ago, God reckons him as dead. We’re to understand that he has been defeated and we’re to reckon him as such. But in experience, before the day is over, old Adam is going to be at our throat. He’s going to be at us to try to get us to do something that is contrary to the will of God. Now verse 18:

Romans 7:18a

“For I know that in me [now he’s coming back to the flesh side. That’s in parenthesis] (that is, in my flesh) [that is in my old Adamic nature] dwelleth no good thing:…..”

Now that flies in the face of present day sociology doesn’t it? Because the sociologists are trying to constantly brainwash their kids, especially college level kids, saying that, “You are so good, you can do whatever you want to do. You can be whatever you want to be, because you have it within you to do so.” That’s the positive thinkers as well. Well, that’s contrary to Scripture. In fact, a good friend of mine got all wrapped up with these motivational tapes when they were having their heyday here a few years ago. I wrote and told him, “Look out. You claim to be a believer and you’re on thin ice because a believer never takes this approach that you can be whatever you want to be if you just think it. A believer has to say, “In myself I am nothing, but in Christ then, yes, I can become anything.” Now Paul is saying that from the old Adamic nature’s point of view there is nothing good.

Romans 7:18b

“….for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.”

Now I’m going to warn you, we haven’t seen but one reference to the Holy Spirit in these first seven chapters. But as soon as we break into Chapter 8, I think it’s 19 times in that one chapter, we’re going to see the Holy Spirit. So you see the question he is asking here is going to be answered in the next chapter. But for now, he’s still asking how am I going to do that which the new nature wants me to do when the old nature keeps tipping the balances? Now verse 19:

Romans 7:19

“For the good that I would I do not (he repeats it again): but the evil which I would not, that I do.”

And here’s where we all find ourselves. I’ve had people tell me or have told my little wife, that they no longer sin. They have reached that pinnacle of Christianity where they no longer commit sin. Well, bless their hearts, I haven’t been out of bed 15 minutes in the morning and I’m guilty, one way or another. Usually in the thought processes. And so this is what we have to realize. We never get to that place of perfection. It’s just like the apostle here, old Adam is never going to quit working on us. Old Adam is that part of us that gets greedy, that gets envious, covetous. My, you see something that your neighbor has got and the first thing, what does old Adam say? “Hey I’ve got to have that.” That’s what Paul is warning against. We don’t live on that plane anymore. Now let’s go on.

Romans 7:20

“Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin (old Adam) that dwelleth in me.”

Do you see how plain that is? I trust converting that word “sin” to “old Adam” is doing as much for you as it has for me. This just opens up this portion of the Scripture, that when we realize that it isn’t sins, it isn’t the things that we do that are sinful that’s our problem. The problem is the production center of those thoughts and those sins, which is old Adam.

Romans 7:21

“I find then (not The Law but what) a law… (I always like to explain right here that when Paul uses the term “law,” whether it’s the Ten or whether it’s the whole system of Judaism, or whether it’s the Law of Christ or some other law, he’s pointing out something that is a fact of life that we have to reckon with. And that’s what he has here. “I find then a fact of life that you just can’t get around, you have to meet it head on”) when I would do good, evil is present with me.”

We all experience that. You see the more you try to do what’s pleasing to The Lord, the more Satan is going to attack. And that’s why I even plead with my television audience as well as my class people. I know that our teaching is starting to penetrate places that Satan doesn’t want it to go. And I live in constant fear of Satanic attack in one way or another. And the only thing that’s protecting me, I know, is the prayers of the saints. As I mentioned in our last taping, nothing thrills me more than to get a letter from someone saying, “Les, we pray for you and Iris two times a day, three times a day,” and we need it, but so do you. And this is why I maintain we believers have to constantly pray for one another. Because we’re up against an adversary who doesn’t like anything we’re doing. I’ve noticed even in my ministry among people who have been so influential in getting this program going, how Satan is attacking them. It’s evident and they realize he is. So far, God has protected us, but I covet your prayers and this is what Paul was up against as well. That whenever he attempted to do something that was glorious for God, the Devil opposed him. Now verse 22.

Romans 7:22

“For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:”

He’s not talking about the Ten Commandments. But he’s talking about a fact of life that now since his conversion, Christ in the Person of the Holy Spirit is dwelling where? Within him! That’s the inward man he’s talking about. That Christ now dwells within. And He is the One that can give us victory over our adversary first and foremost, old Adam. But old Adam is under the control of Satan.

Romans 7:23,24

“But I see another law (fact of life) in my members, warring against the law of my mind (it is a warfare between the new nature and the old), and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin (fact of life) which is in my members (that old Adam is in my members. That’s just simply paraphrasing and hopefully clarifying it).”

“O wretched man that I am (Paul hasn’t mentioned the Holy Spirit’s power yet in these first seven chapters. That’s going to break out in Chapter 8 so be patient. Don’t say, “Well, where’s the Holy Spirit in Paul’s life.” He’s there but he’s waiting until the appropriate time. He’s just going to explode in Chapter 8)! who shall deliver me from the body of this death(from this influence of old Adam. How am I going to overcome it?)?”

Romans 7:25

“I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God (not necessarily the Ten, but all of God’s principles, that becomes now the Law of God); but with the flesh the law of sin.”

I think in the book of Galatians Paul refers to it as the Law of Christ. Now the Law of Christ will never fly in the face of the Ten Commandments, as I’ve said earlier, but it’s more than the Ten Commandments. The Law of Christ is this complete liberty that we now have. Turn with me to Galatians as another verse comes to mind.

Galatians 5:1

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with (what?) the yoke of bondage.”

Now, what is the yoke of bondage? The Law. Legalism. Anything that says, “But you have to do this. You have to go through this ritual. You have to go through this prescribed route.” That’s legalism. And grace says you do nothing but believe the Gospel and let God do everything that needs to be done.

 

Through the Bible with Les Feldick

LESSON 3 * PART 3 * BOOK 22

THE OLD SIN NATURE VS THE NEW NATURE

Now back to our study in Romans, and we’ll jump right in at verses 5 and 6. Now we made some comment on verse 6 in our last study, but we’ll look at it briefly again. Paul is still dealing with breaking the relationship with old Adam who has to be crucified not by anything we do. We can’t crucify ourselves, and I guess that’s one reason The Lord chose crucifixion rather than any other form of death, because that’s one form of death, you see, that man cannot accomplish on his own. You cannot crucify yourself, you can’t drive the nails into your hands, and put the pole up in the air, because that had to be done by outsiders. So I believe that was one reason that crucifixion was the death of choice to carry through this whole theme, that as we are crucified with Christ it is nothing we can do. We can not crucify ourselves, it is wholly, totally, and completely a work of God on our behalf. Now then in verse 5 Paul is reviewing all of this again, as he has done so often.

Romans 7:5

“For when we were in the flesh (under control of old Adam), the motions (or results) of sins (plural. Now do you see the difference? Sin is the old Adam, he is the fountainhead of our sins of action. Old Adam is just simply the manufacturing point, but what we do are sins and then it becomes plural), which were by the law (it goes right back to the things the Law said to do and not to do, and which man in turn does not do and does do), did work in our members to bring forth fruit (the end production) unto death.” That’s all it can work for as we saw in Romans 6:23:

Romans 6:23

“For the wages (that old Adam pays) of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Now Romans 7:6. What’s the first word?

Romans 7:6

“But (and I always call that the flip side. Where old Adam did nothing but generate sins that became fruit unto death, the flip side now is) now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held (under old Adam); that we should serve in newness of spirit (under the control of the Holy Spirit), and not in the oldness of the letter (or the Law).” Do you see how clearly this comes out. Now we move on into verse 7.

Romans 7:7

“What shall we say then? Is the law sin (or like old Adam? Is the Law something that just generates sin. Well what’s his answer)? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin (old Adam), but by the law (remember I said in the last lesson that the law hangs over the old Adamic nature, and is constantly trying to convict him that he’s breaking it. This is what Paul is going to make reference to. It was the Law that showed Paul what old Adam was all about): for I had not known lust, except the law had said, `Thou shalt not covet.'”

Now this is an interesting commandment. Why does Paul pick this commandment “Thou shalt not covet” as his example instead of “Thou shalt not kill, or Thou shalt not steal? Well those of you who have been in my evening classes know. This is the one commandment, out of the ten, that has to always be committed first. Now I know that makes you frown, and I don’t blame you. Let me explain. You cannot kill unless you covet. You cannot steal unless you covet. You cannot commit adultery unless you covet. You cannot destroy someone’s character with false gossip unless you covet. Can you see that? All the way through the Ten Commandments the thing that triggers breaking the Law is coveting.

Now after I have taught this, people will come back after they have had time to think, and say, “Now wait a minute Les, how about when it says `Thou shalt not take the name of The Lord thy God in vain,’ where does coveting fit in that?” It fits perfectly. Because, by and large, why do people curse and swear? Why do people use foul language? They covet something, and what is it? Attention. They think they’re drawing attention to themselves with their foul language, and so again, coveting triggers it. No matter how you look at it, you cannot break one of the Ten Commandments unless, of course, you covet first, and so that’s why Paul is going to use this commandment as the primary example of the law. Now verse 8:

Romans 7:8

“But sin (old Adam), taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence (and if I understand the word correctly, it’s immoral thinking), For without the law sin (old Adam) was dead.”

Now what does he mean being dead? He’s not functioning in the spirit realm because he is not paying any attention to the Law. Now don’t lose sight of what kind of a man that Paul was. What was he? Religious. A religious fanatic in fact. He was an Israelite, a Pharisee of the Pharisees of the Tribe of Benjamin, circumcised the eighth day, he was the epitome of a Judaistic Jew. He practiced the Jewish religion to the hilt, but as a Pharisee, religious, self-righteous man that he was, was he paying any attention to the Law? No, because he was above it. He had no compunction that he was a law-breaker because he was so religious he was practically above the Law, so the Law wasn’t convicting him as he was going along his religious way, and people are no different today. Now verse 9:

Romans 7:9

“For I was alive without the law once (in other words he was functioning as a Pharisee, as a religious zealot, and the Law wasn’t even touching him. It was rolling off of him like water off a duck): but when the commandment came, sin (old Adam) revived (woke up, and as soon as the Law came down on the Adamic part of Paul, and woke him up, what happened to Paul’s old Adam?), and I died.”

Do you see that? Come back with me to the Book of Acts. I hadn’t planned on doing this. I want you to get a perfect picture of what Paul really was as a fanatical, religious Jew, and what he’s referring to in Chapter 7 of Romans.

Acts 9:1-5a

“AND Saul (the Jew, the Pharisee, the religious fanatic), yet breathing out threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord (these Jewish believers who had now embraced Christ as their Messiah), went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues (dealing mostly with Jews), that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women (he didn’t care if it was women he dragged into prison), he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him (and, of course, this is The Lord from Heaven now speaking), `Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?’ And he said, `Who art thou, Lord?…'”

Now those of you who have made a study of the Old Testament, and I think that it carries right into the early part of the New Testament, Who was Lord? Jehovah! Jehovah! And I feel no violence to Scripture that had Saul not had such an awe for the name, in all practical circumstances he would have said, “Who art thou, Jehovah?” because he knew this voice was coming from the presence of God, there was no doubt about that. And so I like to put it that he knew he was talking to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He was talking to Jehovah. Now continuing on with verse 5.

Acts 9:5a

“And he said, `Who art thou, Lord?’ And the Lord said, `I am Jesus…'”

Man, who would even have thought such a thing in Paul’s shoes. Jehovah is claiming to be Jesus of Nazareth whom he hated, and detested, whom he thought was an impostor, who was a blasphemer, and He’s Jehovah? Well look what it did to the man. It melted him like wax, and no wonder he fell to the ground blinded physically in order to see spiritually Who Jesus really was. He was the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and you remember I proved this when we were way back four or five years ago in Exodus, Remember when the voice from the burning bush told Moses:

Exodus 3:14

“And God said unto Moses, `I AM THAT I AM:’ and he said, `Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.'”

And then remember I took you into John’s Gospel Chapter 8, and as the Pharisees again of Jesus day confronted Him:

John 8:57,58

“Then said the Jews unto him, `Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?’ Jesus said unto them, `Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.'”

What was he telling them? I’m the same One that spoke from the burning bush, I’m the Jehovah of the Old Testament, and of course He was. So now then Saul had to recognize that the One he was hating, the One he was trying to stamp out, this Jesus of Nazareth was the God that he thought he was worshipping. And so he had to bring the two together. Now let’s turn to Acts Chapter 26 for a moment. And now, of course, as the Apostle has gone through all his trials and sufferings, and he’s coming down toward the end of his freedom, at least before he will be imprisoned in Rome, look what he says in verse 9:

Acts 26:9

“I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth” See what I just told you? He really thought Jesus of Nazareth was an impostor, and he wanted to stamp out anybody who had anything to do with this Jesus.

Acts 26:10,11

“Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death (and what was their crime? Believing that Jesus was the Christ), I gave my voice (or vote) against them (or I voted to have them put to death).”

“And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme (he was forcing these Jewish believers to renounce their faith in Jesus. It’s unbelievable, but this is what he was doing in the name of his religion. There isn’t any thing more tortuous, or inhuman than religious fanatics); and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.”

Acts 26:12a

“Whereupon as I went to Damascus…”

And as we saw in Chapter 9 that was his purpose in going to Damascus. Now if you will come back to the Book of Romans Chapter 7, and keep all this in mind; he’s so religious, and such a fanatic that the Law wasn’t even touching him, even though he was guilty of what we can call murder, when he actually demanded the death of these Jewish believers in his own mind, he was putting them to death murderously. Now verse 10:

Romans 7:10

“And the commandment (the ten), which was ordained to life, (remember they’re Holy, and perfect, because up in verse 9, as soon as old Adam in Saul woke up and realized that the Law was condemning him, what happened? He said, “I woke up, I revived,” and he became aware that the Law was convicting him, and that he had only one prospect as a Law-breaker, and that was eternal death) I found to be unto death.” Now verse 11:

Romans 7:11

“For sin (old Adam), taking occasion by the commandment (ten), deceived me, and by it slew me.”

Paul says it was killing me. What does he mean? Let’s compare Scripture with Scripture so come back with me to verse 5 of this same chapter. This is exactly what he’s talking about.

Romans 7:5

“For when we (he could say when I) were in the flesh, the motions of sins (in other words putting these people to death, blaspheming the name of Christ, and what ever else he may have been guilty of), which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.”

And Saul was no different. Saul the religious fanatic everyday of his life was piling guilt, upon guilt, upon guilt, heading for the day when he too would leave this life, and would come before the Great White Throne, and hear those word, “Depart from me you religious fanatic, for I never knew you.” That’s where Saul was headed. Now back to our text in verse 11. So old Adam had been keeping him blind to the reality of the true purpose of the Law, which was to convict him. Remember what it said back in Romans Chapter 3?

Romans 3:20b

“…for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” All right, that’s where it finally came to even with Saul. Now verse 12.

Romans 7:12

“Wherefore the law (the ten) is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.”

Romans 7:13

“Was then that which is good made death unto me (in other words, can the Commandments be something other than good? Well he answers it)? God forbid (don’t think such a thought. But here’s what the Ten really amounted to). But sin (old Adam), that it might appear sin (old Adam. Now what’s he saying? He’s just making a double emphasis, but old Adam in order that he could be seen for what he really is, bent in rebellion, and evil, and ignoring the Law, but old Adam), working death in me by that which is good (that sounds like double talk, but you see what he’s saying over and over? That the Law in itself was good and perfect, but what was it doing to the man? It was killing him. It was convicting him); that sin (old Adam)by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.”

Now I’ve got to take you back to Chapter 3 for a moment, because here’s where we get the explanation of what he’s talking about. I know most people have forgotten what we studied in Chapter 3. And keep this passage hooked up with Saul of Tarsus.

Romans 3:20

“Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”

The Law shows us what old Adam is really made of. Okay? Now come back to Chapter 7. So what does the Law do for Saul of Tarsus? It compounds his sinfulness. How by revealing everything that he does was sinful. Everything that he was doing was contrary to the will of a Holy God. Now verse 14.

Romans 7:14

“For we know (any good religious Jew knew this) that the law is spiritual (it was written by the finger of God, it was supernaturally presented to the Nation of Israel. It was holy, and God given, and spiritual): but I am carnal (in his pre-saved condition), sold under sin (or old Adam).”

He’s under the curse as the result of a fall, way back there in the Garden of Eden, and that is what we have been emphasizing now for six chapters here in this Book. That when Adam sinned, he plunged the whole human race under the curse, and separated them from their Creator. And Saul of Tarsus was no different, religious as he was. And so verse 14 says that he was carnal, fleshly, even though he was religious, yet the motivating power within him was not the things that were pleasing to God, but quite the contrary, because he was stamping out those who had recognized Jesus was indeed the Christ. Now again we have to understand the mind-set of not only Saul of Tarsus, but all the religious Jews of Jesus’ day. Why were they so constantly against Him? They could not believe that He was the Christ. He could not be the One promised all the way back from Genesis Chapter 12.

 

Through the Bible with Les Feldick

LESSON 3 * PART 2 * BOOK 22

THE NEW NATURE

Now in our last lesson we left off with the last verse in Chapter 6. And remember that Paul has just been constantly hammering home our having to deal with old Adam. That sin nature with which we are born, and where the multitudes of the human race are existing., and are under the control of that old Adamic nature which is prone to rebellion, which is contrary to the will of God because it is under the control of God’s greatest adversary, and that is Satan. I just happened to think of a verse we were going to use a couple of lessons ago, and never got back to it, and it goes right in line with what I’ve just said. So turn with me to II Corinthians Chapter 4. This says it better than I could ever hope to. Here is where the human race is in such a dilemma, and those of us who are trying our best to awaken them to their needs, it’s our dilemma, because this is what we’re up against.

II Corinthians 4:3,4

“But if our gospel (ref. I Corinthians 15:1-4) be hid (and it is), it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not (who blinded them? Satan, the god of this world), lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”

Now that’s a dilemma. I mean that is something that mankind is constantly laboring under; that Satan has totally blinded their eyes to the truth of the Word of God. Now in that same light let’s use another verse that we use so often, at least in my classes during the week. Come with me back to the Book of Acts Chapter 16. I share this passage so often, in fact I did in my class last night. This is what you and I as believers have to understand, and we have to pray to this end. There is not a thing we can do until God takes away this Satan-inspired blindness. Here in Acts we have Paul and Silas teaching in the city of Philippi, in Northern Greece, and they’ve gone out to a little riverside park, and there Paul found a few Jewish women in a devotional time, they couldn’t have full synagogue services of course.

Acts 16:13,14

“And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither (we don’t know how many). And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple (a business lady), of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God (she was religious, but not a Christian), heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.”

See how plain that is? Here was a lady, probably in the upper crust of her day, and to be a seller of purple she had to be rather well-to-do. She was Jewish, she had a certain amount of religion and she had a certain amount of knowledge about God, but was lost. Just as lost as the ones we read about in II Corinthians Chapter 4. Her eyes were just as blinded by Satan as anybody else’s, but when Paul came on the scene, The Lord opened her spiritual understanding. The Lord opened her heart, but that in itself didn’t do it. She had to attend to the things that were spoken by Paul. And you see that’s where you and I are as believers There is nothing that you and I can do to win a lost person until The Lord opens their heart, and then when that happens we have to be there with the truth of Scripture. And as I’ve taught over the years, God has seen fit to leave His Word in the hands of human beings, not angels. Why didn’t God appoint angels to do His evangelism? Well, He saw fit to leave it in the hands of believers to share these things, and Paul says in II Corinthians Chapter 5 that we’re ambassadors for Christ.

II Corinthians 5:20

“Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”

You know what an ambassador is? He is someone who is serving his home government, but in a foreign environment, and as that ambassador, then, we are to bring people to a reconciliation with God. But back here in Romans 6, we have been dealing with the old Adam, that we can’t do anything in ourselves, but rather it has to be a work of God to place old Adam on the Cross. He has to be crucified, he has to be put to death. Now there are several areas of death that we have to consider. Number one, as the result of Adam’s fall, is physical death. This old body is going to die if The Lord doesn’t come. It’s something that every human being is going to experience. No one except Christ Himself is going to escape physical death, that’s part of the curse. But if you remember the circles that I put on the board several lessons ago, inside this body of flesh, God has placed that invisible part of us. The personality, the ego, whatever you want to call it, and that is centered in the mind, will, and emotion. Now that mind, will, and emotion that we’re born with comprises the old Adam.

Now even though old Adam is living in this body of flesh which is going to die, we also have to appropriate a death to that old Adam to that spirit side of us, and that, of course, is where Paul is dealing the most. When we talk about old Adam having to die, that means that the old sin nature we’re born with has to die spiritually either in this life by appropriating the work of the Cross, and having him reckoned as dead in Christ, or old Adam is going to experience death at the Great White Throne, and as we saw in our last lesson, consigned to the Lake of Fire forever and ever – that’s the second death, and in the area of the spirit. Now let’s go into Chapter 7. Now I don’t claim to be a theologian by any stretch of the imagination, yet here is a chapter that theologians can discuss and argue over, and never come to any conclusions. I personally can’t see this chapter as that difficult. I find Chapter 7 a thrilling chapter, and, of course, Paul is dealing again with this same thing that we’ve been talking about. How are we going to deal with old Adam, as over against the new divine nature that Christ places in us at Salvation. Now remember that when Adam is crucified there had to be something to immediately replace him or we would be an empty entity. But God does replace old Adam with a new nature, the Divine nature that comes from God by a creative work, and that’s what we’re going to deal with now here in this chapter.

Romans 7:1

“KNOW ye not, brethren (believers), (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?”

Now he’s not just talking about the Mosaic Law here, he’s talking about law as it governs society. You and I live under the government, and the Constitution of the United States, and that constitutional law is going to be over us, and will control us till we die. But the moment we die, the American government loses all control. They can’t do anything to a dead person. Now that’s what Paul is driving at. The only way you can sever something is by death. The only way you can stop the bank from foreclosing on a mortgage is, you die, and then they can’t do anything. I gave the example of a man on trial a couple of lessons ago, he’s as guilty as can be, but before the verdict can come in he dies. The trial is then over because death has ended the whole thing. And here Paul is using this same analogy, that now we’re going to come into a marriage relationship under the civil law of the land. Whether it’s Israel or America, it makes no difference.

Romans 7:2

“For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law (not the Mosaic Law here, but rather the law of the land) to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.”

Not the husband’s dominion over her as such, but the law of the land under which they were married is going to determine how they treat their community property, and how they do all these other things under the law of the land. But when the husband dies, now what? The woman is as free as a bird, she is no longer under any of the previous demands of that husband. Why? Because he’s dead, and that settles it. Now verse 3:

Romans 7:3

“So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law (so, if her husband is dead, then she is free from the law that kept those two people together. Do you see that? That’s the law that he’s talking about. The law of the land that made them husband and wife); so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.” And now verse 4, and it’s the key to the whole concept.

Romans 7:4a

“Wherefore,…” In a word he’s saying, “I’m just laying out an illustration,” that, since the law of the land has kept husband and wife together, and it lays out how they’re going to handle their property, and their wealth, and whether we like it or not there are laws stipulating how this will be done.

Romans 7:4

“Wherefore, my brethren (Paul is talking to the believers at Rome), ye also are become dead to the law (we’re talking about the law of Moses, the Mosaic system. How?) by the body of Christ;…” Now not the invisible Body that we talked about a lesson or two ago, not that invisible consortium or organism of believers baptized into Christ, the Church. But rather this body is speaking of His body of flesh with which He was crucified. Be sure you determine what we’re talking about. Now reading the verse again:

Romans 7:4

“Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law (Mosaic system) by the body of Christ (that was crucified); that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.”

Now let’s sort this all out. Paul says that just the same as a husband and wife are by the law held together, they cannot operate, or function without the law of the land being part and parcel. Well just for example, take income tax. That income tax is set up for husband and wives, you either file jointly or separately, it doesn’t make a bit of difference. Uncle Sam looks over the shoulder of you as husband and wife as long as you live, and it looks like it will always be that way. But as soon as one of those partners die, the other is free from the law that held them together. And now Paul is drawing the analogy so also the lost person is under the demands of the Mosaic law, the Ten Commandments. The lost person, whether he wants to admit it or not, is under the very anathema of God when they commit adultery, steal, kill or any of the things that are contrary to the law. Do you see that? I don’t care how anti-religious a person can be, I don’t care if he’s an atheist, those commandments of God are still hanging over him. He can’t escape them, and one day he comes before the Great White Throne, he will be judged according to that law. Don’t ever lose sight of that. The Law, the Ten Commandments are perfect, they’re righteous, they’re holy, and they’re eternal. We can’t just write them off, and say, “Oh well, that was Old Testament stuff.” No, no, it’s the eternal mind of God that’s been revealed to mankind.

Now then, if we are going to come out from under that demand of those Ten Commandments hanging over our heads, then there is only one way we can do it. We’ve got to die. Do you hear that? We have to die. Oh, not physically, but in that old Adam. And so here we go again, the same old story. Old Adam has to be crucified, and the minute he is crucified, and is dead in the eyes of God, the Ten Commandments no longer hang over him. He’s dead!

But we don’t leave it there – we pick up another relationship (it’s just like the widow who has lost her husband somewhere down the road, what is she free to do? Marry another. Absolutely! There is nothing in Scripture against that). And in this new relationship now she can be giving her allegiance to a second husband, but with old Adam we’re not dealing with the physical, we’re dealing with the spiritual, so, as soon as old Adam is crucified, and he’s reckoned as dead, immediately God reckons that we’re married, and have a new relationship, not under the Mosaic Law, but under the love, and Grace, and mercy of Christ Himself; and so we’re married to Christ. Do you see that?

Now there is somebody (and I won’t use their name on the letters they write, and I don’t even respond to them), that when I spoke of the Bride of Christ one time, the envelope (which I did not open) came all marked on the outside “Bride of Christ – Sir” Do you see what they were driving at? They thought that I was referring to the Bride of Christ and you and I as believers as female in gender. Well, this is merely a relationship, this is a position as we see when we study the Book of Ephesians. That when we’re married to Christ in the analogy of Paul’s writings it’s that union between us and Christ like a husband and wife, and, of course, Paul uses that in Ephesians Chapter 5.

Ephesians 5:25

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it:”

That’s a constant analogy that Paul brings out, and here it is again in this chapter in Romans. Crucify old Adam, put him to death so that he is broken from the demands of the Ten Commandments, and be married to Christ. Let’s jump ahead a little bit here in Chapter 7, and verse 6, then I’ll come back to verse 4 and 5.

Romans 7:6

“But now (that we’re married to Christ) we are delivered from the law (most people don’t know that this verse is in their Bible, but here it is as plain as day. Now that we’re married to Christ as a result of old Adam being crucified, now we are delivered from the law), that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit,…”

The Holy Spirit that comes in and indwells us becomes our law. See, we don’t become lawless because we’re not under the Ten Commandments, because something far better takes its place, the indwelling Spirit. And contrary to nuts that are in institutions that say, “God told me to kill him,” remember God never tells someone to kill. God never tells someone to go out and break up a family and home by committing adultery. God never does any of that, but that’s what they try to say. God, the Spirit never goes contrary to the basic laws of God. The Holy Spirit will never instruct a believer to do wrong, and you know that. So let’s look at the verse again:

Romans 7:6

“But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter (the law, the Ten Commandments).” Now let’s go back up to verse 4 for a moment.

Romans 7:4

“Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.”

Now remember, fruit is that productive result of whatever it may be. In other words, you plant an apple tree, and I don’t think you plant an apple tree just for shade. Do you? I sure don’t. If I want a shade tree, then I’ll plant a shade tree, but if I want apples, then I plant an apple tree, and hope that someday in the future to receive the rewards of that tree. And what are the rewards of that tree? Fruit. It’s the same way when the groom and the bride come together in their marriage relationship under normal circumstances – their dream is to have a family. Isn’t that right? What are those children? Their fruit of that union. Now it’s the same way in the believer. When we come into this marriage relationship with Christ, what does God now look for? Fruit. And what is the fruit of a believer now married to Christ? Other believers. That’s where soul winning, and witnessing comes in – that we can win other lost people for Christ, and it becomes fruit. Now I mentioned in a previous lesson that I do not ascribe to any kind of a Christianity that just takes people by the nape of the neck and tries to push this down their throat. It doesn’t work that way. But we certainly have a concern for the spiritual needs of these lost people.

It just tears my heart out when I look at the masses of humanity, and realize that most of them are going to a Devil’s Hell. I don’t know who they are, I can’t judge, and neither can you, but I just know from Scripture that most of them are. Remember, God has always just had a small remnant, and it’s certainly no different today. Now grant you, we probably have a higher percentage of believers in America, what with all the preaching and Bible teaching we have, but you take the world population as a whole, what percentage of them are going to be in God’s Heaven? Well precious few, but those few are God’s fruit, as a result of His relationship with human beings.

 

Through the Bible with Les Feldick

LESSON 3 * PART 1 * BOOK 22

THE OLD SIN NATURE

In our classes we are informal, trying to reach folks regardless of where they are, across all denominational lines. And just because I reach across denominational lines doesn’t mean I will ever compromise in order to do so. I teach The Book as I feel it needs to be taught. Now let’s continue with our study in the Book of Romans. I’m taking it slowly because I know that most of what I’ve been teaching, the average churchgoer and believer never have any contact with. We realize that most of our Sunday school material will not go into the depth of these doctrines, so that is why we are taking it rather slowly. We left off last lesson in Romans 6 at verse 14. Remember, I’ve been stressing in these past few lessons that the word `sin’ (singular) is the old Adamic nature that we’re born with, and that’s why it is singular. It’s the fountainhead then of sins (plural). So the old Adam is what produces sins (plural), and we always have to keep that separated as we study Scripture.

Romans 6:14

“For sin (the old sin nature, old Adam) shall not have dominion over you (now in the last lesson I was stressing, “reigning like a king,” or we can crucify old Adam, and let the Grace of God in the Person of Christ and the Holy Spirit reign as King); for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”

Now I always have to stop and qualify, as I’ve done for the last several years, that when I maintain that we’re not under the Law that doesn’t mean that we cast aside the Ten Commandments as no good, because they are still holy, perfect, and still the mind of God. They are still the criteria for social behavior whether it’s Christian or non-Christian. The Ten Commandments do not become a criteria of doctrine, and that’s why I have no compunction about having the Ten Commandments in our public schools, because the Ten Commandments in themselves are not a religious doctrine, but rather simply the mind of God, that everything within those Ten Commandment is for mankind’s own good. And that’s what we have to understand when we have the Ten Commandments hanging on a classroom wall, we are not placing a demand on any child regardless what beliefs they have or don’t have, but rather the basic laws of the Ten Commandments just simply establish a good society. And when a society rebels against those Commandments they’re in trouble. And, consequently, empires have fallen, one right after the other because they ignore these basic tenants of God’s Law. But also remember the Ten Commandments are not a criteria for Salvation, or a set of doctrines, and we’re not under them as the Nation of Israel was, and all their legalist priesthood, and sacrifices and so forth, and this is what Paul is referring to. We’re not under that legalist system, we’re under Grace, and that’s as different as daylight is from dark.

Romans 6:15,16a

“What then? shall we sin (let old Adam continue to rule supreme), because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.” Notice the answer is God forbid, but I think a more accurate translation is, “Banish the thought.” Don’t even think such a thing, because it’s nowhere near what God is trying to show us.

“Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are…”

Now he just brings this into the everyday world. If you are employed by someone then naturally he is the one who is going to tell you what he expects of you. He is the one who will be paying your wages, and he is the one you are to give your allegiance to, because you’re his employee. Now of course the word `servants’ is implying the same thing. Paul again is going to bring everything back to this idea of old Adam. Maybe some people are beginning to get tired of hearing me use that term over the last few chapters, but as I again was preparing my thoughts for this lesson last night, I got to thinking that’s the reason Paul is making such a big deal over these two themes that we have been emphasizing over and over ever since we came into Chapter 4.

First it was `Justification.’ You are justified, you’re declared just as if you have never sinned. For almost two chapters that was repeated over and over, that you’re justified by faith, and faith alone. Now in Chapter 6, Paul is telling us over and over that we have to deal with “Old Adam.” Old Adam has to be crucified, and put to death. I think that I came to the right conclusion in my preparation, and that is to show that no kind of human endeavor can do what is being accomplished in these two or three chapters. In other words, no amount of Church membership, works, baptism, sacraments, or elements you can put in here, nothing can do what Paul is teaching in justification by faith, and in putting old Adam to death. Works can’t do that, because it has to be the works of the Creator God Himself, and I think that’s where the emphasis lies.

All around us whether it be in the city, small town, country, or Timbuktu, most people are still of the impression that they have to do something. This is totally foreign to that kind of thinking, so I’m going to go along with Paul, and keep repeating it until he stops repeating it, which will be when we get to Chapter 8. Then all of a sudden we will break out into the sunlight of how free and secure we are, but until we do we’ll keep repeating as he does.

Romans 6:16

“Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey (if you are a child of Adam, then that’s the one you’re going to be serving); whether of sin unto death, or (the other side of the coin) of obedience unto righteousness?”

in the right standing with God, and His Grace, you can enjoy that now and for all eternity. See, that’s the only choice in life. Whether we are living in America, Europe, or some third world country there are only two choices for life. Are you going to serve the old Adam who is under the control of Satan, and be entrapped in his eternal doom, or are we going to turn our back on him, and enjoy God’s righteousness, bliss, and heaven for ever.

Romans 6:17-19

“But God be thanked, that ye were (past tense) the servants of sin (our past), but (now the flip side) ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you (Paul’s Gospel as found in I Corinthians 15:1-4). Being then made free from sin (old Adam), ye became the servants (bond slave) of righteousness.” See how clear this comes out now after repeating it over and over?

“I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh (what’s Paul saying in so many words? “I’m coming down to your level. I’m speaking on your level, because you are still human, and in the flesh, and I’m not coming with some high and mighty statement you can’t comprehend”): for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity;…”

Now what’s he describing? The life of a person out there in the world. Never lose sight of the fact that everyone of these Gentile converts that Paul has brought out of darkness into the light of the Gospel were pagan idolaters. In fact let’s look at I Thessalonians for a moment, and this says it all. If I can just get people to understand that as Paul writes to these believers he is writing to Gentile men and women who had been steeped in idolatry. They had been in all the idolatrous, and pagan practices that were rampant in the ancient world. You know I always like to make mention of the fact that we think that we’re living in a whole new world, that we are living in a whole new social strata, I mean, after all, we have finally arrived. No we haven’t. We’re living in the same old sin that has plagued the world since the beginning. Idolatry and paganism promoted it more than a lot of things that are taking place in our society. Here in I Thessalonians Chapter 1, let’s start with verse 9.

I Thessalonians 1:9

“For they themselves (the ones up there in Northern and Southern Greece that Macedonia and Achaia in verse 8) shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;”

Do you see that? Thessalonica was in Northern Greece not far from Philippi, and every place that Paul gained converts this would have held true. They turned from idols to the living God. Now that took something, and again you want to realize that when people are saved and become believers, and come out of a culture that is totally different to Christianity, then they come under pressure and persecution. As Paul writes, he keeps this uppermost in his mind that these new converts did not have an easy row living in the midst of their idolatrous friends and relatives. Now back to Romans 6:20.

Romans 6:20

“For when ye were (past tense) the servants (under the dominion of old Adam) of sin, ye were free from righteousness.”

What? God doesn’t expect the unsaved person to live righteously. You can’t legislate Christian morals and principles. We’d like to, I know, because we think it would make for a better world, but we just can’t do it. You cannot legislate morality. Let me show you in Romans 8. It shocks people when I point this out. This certainly isn’t giving the unbelieving world more free reign than they already have, but rather saying what the Word of God says.

Romans 8:7a

“Because the carnal mind…” Now the word `carnal’ as Paul uses it can be used two different ways. He’ll speak of a carnal believer, that is a Christian who is still fleshly-minded, but he’s saved, and he’s in the Body of Christ. But he has not come out of that old lifestyle, as Paul has been begging him to do in Romans Chapters 6 and 7, but he’s carnal, he’s more fleshly concerned than he is spiritual. On the other hand Paul can speak of carnal people as being totally unsaved. They are totally lost, so the text has to define the word for you. But here Paul is talking about the unsaved carnal person. Now the whole verse:

“Because the carnal mind (the lost) is enmity (an enemy) against God (most lost people if you tell them that they’re an enemy of God they’d swat you. But whether they know it or not, the Book says the lost are enemies of God): for it (the carnal unbeliever) is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.”

Do you see how that fits with what I just said? You can not legislate Christian morality on the world, and that’s why we don’t even attempt to try. God doesn’t want us to, because it won’t work. The only thing that will work is when they have that inner change, the work of God in their lives. Now back to Romans Chapter 6.

Romans 6:20,21

“For when ye were the servants of sin (old Adam), ye were free from righteousness.” So when you’re lost you’re under no demands to live righteously. God doesn’t expect it. Now in the next verse Paul is going back into their idolatrous life style and ask:

“What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.”

Well, they had the fruit of ungodliness, that was the end result of their lifestyle in idolatry. You let a person produce nothing but bad fruit throughout his entire sojourn on earth, what’s his end? Spiritual death. Separation from God forever and ever and ever as we see the last part of that verse, and that’s what The Book says. That the end result of a person who is going to live under total control of old Adam, and passes off the scene having done nothing different, death is the result. Not only physical, but also spiritual death as well. Let’s go for a moment to the Book of Revelation Chapter 20, and look at the spiritual death that Paul is referring to. He’s not just talking about dying physically, but rather a spiritual death. I don’t have time here to go back and review the whole chapter so we’ll have to jump in at verse 5. Remember that chapter 20 is at the end of the Tribulation, the Millennial reign of Christ, the Kingdom has come in, and He’s going to reign and rule for a thousand years, and now John writes:

Revelations 20:5,6

“But the rest of the dead (the lost who have not experienced resurrection) lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.” In other words, at the end of the thousand years, that’s when the Great White Throne Judgment will come about for the lost. The first resurrection is for believers only.

“Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection (this will be from Adam to the last person saved); on such (the believer) the second death hath no power,…”

So what’s the second death that He’s talking about? The eternal doom, when they will be sent away from the presence of God back over here in Chapter 20:11-15 at the Great White Throne Judgment. They will never again have any contact, or conversation with their Creator God because they are totally separated. That is the spiritual death. This is the same thing Paul is talking about in Romans. Either we take care of old Adam, and enter into this righteousness we call Salvation, and have eternal bliss in the presence of God, or we let old Adam reign supreme, and pass off the scene, never having done anything about it, and go to the second death.

Romans 6:22

“But now (in their saved estate) being made free from sin (old Adam), and become servants to God, ye have your fruit (now you are producing something totally different. Can you see that? The old Adam produced fruit to nothing but condemnation and evil. But being made free from old Adam you have entered in to the Salvation experience that God has offered, and become) unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.” We can’t comprehend what it means to live forever in God’s presence, but that’s what the Scripture is talking about. We can enjoy the saving Grace of God in this life, but it’s not going to stop at the grave; it’s going to take us on into the everlasting life, that eternal abiding with God Himself. This is what Paul is burning himself out for. When he sets himself up as an example, that’s something I can go for, because he was just as human as I am. Paul suffered those privations for the sake of the Gospel beyond what we can imagine.

Romans 6:23

“For the wages of sin (or you might say, the wages that old Adam pays is the second death, eternal doom) is death; but (the flip side is) the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Now the key word in this verse is “Gift” You’re all acquainted with gifts, and we all like to get a gift, but as soon as you contribute something to the cost of that gift, then it’s no longer a gift. And there again is what the majority of even Christendom is trying to do: take away the gift aspect of Salvation, and they want to work for it. They think they have to do something. And of course I always have to qualify what I’m talking about. I’m talking about Salvation, and then of course after we have entered into Salvation, yes then all these other things have to fall into place. There has to be the good works, the manifestation of our saving faith, there has to be this whole idea of bringing honor and glory to God. And as the catechism says, “Enjoy Him Forever.”

 

Through the Bible with Les Feldick

LESSON 2 * PART 4 * BOOK 22

ROMANS 6:1-14

Returning to our study in Romans Chapter 6, I would like to begin by reviewing verse 13 again, and then getting into verse 14 and 15.

Romans 6:13a

“Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin:…”

Or old Adam. Now I’m emphasizing this exercise of will in the life of a believer because the word here again doesn’t demand, or it doesn’t say that we’re not going to have an opportunity to have a choice, but it’s a matter of yielding. The constant admonition of Paul’s letters to the believer is, “Don’t give in to old Adam.” We see in I Corinthians that Paul tells us that he kept his body in subjection and under control.

I Corinthians 9:27

“But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”

Now that doesn’t mean that you have to become a clergy or a monk in a monastery or anything like that. I’ve always maintained that the Christian life is the greatest life of freedom of anything that the world has ever known.

I’ve read that back in the dark ages some of the priests of the Roman Church, just to show their humility and servitude, would wear garments made of hair with the hair next to their skin. This was to torment themselves supposedly to please God, and show their humility. That’s not what the Scripture asks. We do not have to go through some kind of torture in order to be a spiritual person. The Christian life is a life of joy; it’s a life of responsibility, yes, but it’s also a life that lets us enjoy it to the full. God does not mandate that, just because you’re a believer, you have to be as poor as a pauper. On the other hand I do not agree with these who say that if you’re a believer you will automatically become a millionaire. But whether you’re rich or poor or in-between we have this satisfying life that God has now imparted to us while we’re in this earthly sojourn.

Romans 6:13

“Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead (because that’s what we are. We have been raised from that deadness in the old Adam), and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.” Now here comes what I want to spend most of this lesson on, and that is verse 14.

Romans 6:14

“For sin (singular, old Adam, the old Adamic nature) shall not have dominion over you (now I trust all of you know what dominion is. That’s something that rules like a king, and so Paul is admonishing us that we don’t let old Adam have dominion over you. And this almost seems like anti-climatic. Don’t let him have dominion or let him influence you to live the life of the flesh): for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”

You would think it should be the other way around. You can’t let old Adam have dominion over you because you’re under Law, and the Law stipulates what you can and cannot do.That’s not what it says, it’s the opposite of that. You are under grace. It’s hard to comprehend isn’t it? Here we have full freedom, we’re not under any demands of a set of rules and regulations. And under those circumstances I can still keep old Adam under subjection? Yes! See that’s the beauty of the Gospel of the Grace of God.

Now, look at the timeline again (front of book). Has mankind always had this kind of freedom? No. For 1500 years the Nation of Israel was under the Law, and when I talk about the Law, I always have to remind people that it was severe. The Law was demanding, and there was no hanky panky under the Law, it was severe to the extreme. You know the illustration I always like to give is if someone picked up sticks on the Sabbath day what was the result? Death. See? There were no ifs, ands, or buts – they were out of there. The same way with other great sins. If they would have committed murder, for example, there was no such thing as umpteen years of appeals. They were dead, so the law was very demanding.

So on the timeline at 2000 B.C. we have the call of Abram out of Ur of the Chaldees. And after Isaac had Jacob, and out of him came the twelve sons, then coming out of Egypt we have the Nation of Israel making it’s appearance under the leadership of Moses (Israel had become a nation while they were in slavery in Egypt), and then we had the giving of the Law shortly after that, and that, of course, was by Moses. The Lord gave it to him at Mt. Sinai. So we had Law 1500 years before the Cross. And when Christ came on the scene in His earthly ministry for those three years, was He under the Law? Yes. And He confined His ministry, again with the exception of two people, to the Nation of Israel under the Law. This is what I try to get across to people. I don’t downplay the Four Gospels, saying you should not read them or have anything to do with them, any more than I would the Old Testament. But as I have been saying over the past several months, you do not get Church doctrine, or Grace doctrine in the Four Gospels. It’s not in there. God is still dealing with the Nation of Israel under the Covenant promises, and under the Law, so consequently, there is nothing of Grace in there as we understand Grace.

Again, I always have to qualify. Grace has always been the attribute of God, because when Adam sinned way back there in the Garden of Eden, what attribute of God caused Him to go seeking for Adam and Eve? It was His Grace, we know it was. He didn’t have to, He could have just let them go, or zapped them and started over, but it was His Grace that went back, and reconciled Adam, and Eve unto Himself. I just had a question in the mail this morning again. “Will Adam be in Heaven or was He lost?” No, Adam is going to be in Heaven, because his faith, you see, put him back in fellowship with his Creator, and Eve as well. Now one of our best study Bibles makes the comment that “Grace began with the Cross.”Well as an attribute, of course, it did, but in experience there is still no Gospel of Grace even in the early chapters of Acts, and you can’t find it. But once the Apostle Paul is converted on the road to Damascus, and he makes his appearance to Ananias, the first thing that God reveals is that He is going to send this man where? To the Gentiles.

Acts 9:13-15

“Then Ananias answered, `Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.’ But the Lord said unto him, `Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me. to bear my name before the Gentiles,…'”

Well He couldn’t send an apostle to the Gentiles, and promote the Law of Israel because that was only for the Nation of Israel. So it stands to reason that if He’s going to go to the non-Jewish world then He’s going to have to go to something totally different than Judaism even though He is going to go first to the Jew and then the Gentile. Now let me show you how the Scripture qualifies that. Let’s jump ahead to the Book of Galatians, Chapter 2, for a moment, and this is all part and parcel of dividing Law and Grace, and there are a lot of people that absolutely don’t understand that. Remember Paul is writing here to the Churches there in Asia Minor who are being deluged with Judaisers who are trying to bring these Gentile believers under the Law. Legalism!

Galatians 2:1

“THEN fourteen years after (Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus) I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also.” Now remember by this time he’s been up there in Asia Minor on his missionary journeys. He has established Gentile Churches, and he has gotten word that they are being tempted with legalism, so he hurriedly writes this little epistle. Now verse 2, and this is the one I want you to see. Paul writes:

Galatians 2:2

“And I went up by revelation (it was a supernatural trip. God had instructed it, and had led him up there), and communicated unto them (that would be Peter and the eleven, and other leaders of the Jerusalem believers) that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles (I Corinthians 15:1-4),…”

Hey, that was something totally different than what the Jews in Jerusalem knew about. It was an advance on what they knew, of course. But it was still something that they could not comprehend, that God was now going to go to the Gentile, pagan, idolatrous world, and bring those people to a place of reconciliation with Himself outside of Judaism. That was incomprehensible They couldn’t believe that the God of Abraham would go to those pagans, and bring them to a place of Salvation without bringing them under the law of Israel. If you doubt what I’m saying, come back to Acts 15 for a little bit. You will find this Chapter in Acts, and the second Chapter here in Galatians, are almost identical. It’s all the same set of events, and this is what Paul was up against when he was trying to bring the Gospel of the Grace of God in the midst of Judaisers who were still under the Law. That’s something that a lot of people can’t see, and it took me a long time to see it. Now it’s the same time frame, about 14 years after Paul’s conversion which was about 38 A.D. so this was about 52 A.D., and that makes it about 22 or 23 years after Pentecost, and don’t lose sight of that.

Acts 15:1

“AND certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren (that is these Gentile believers at Antioch), and said, `Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.'”

Now that’s what The Book says. I don’t care what traditionalists say. The Book says that these Jewish believers at Jerusalem were still so saturated with the Law that they tried to bring those Gentile believers of Paul’s ministry up in Antioch under it. But Paul said that these Gentile believers were already saved and that they didn’t have to keep the law of Moses because they are now under my Gospel which I’m preaching to the Gentiles. Now you say, “Well that’s just one verse Les, and I’m not satisfied.” All right then come on down to verse 5. Paul is now at Jerusalem, and he’s meeting with the Twelve, and the other leaders of the Church there.

Acts 15:5

“But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed (notice they were believers. They believed for their Salvation that Jesus was the Christ. And that was what they had to believe under Judaism. They had to believe that Jesus was Who He said He was), saying, `That it was needful to circumcise them (who are `them?’ The Gentile believers at Antioch. And so they’re telling Paul and Barnabas that they have to circumcise those Gentiles), and to command them to keep the law of Moses.'”

That’s what The Book says. This as plain as day, and then people try to tell me that the Gospel of Grace started way back there. No it didn’t because this kind of demand wouldn’t have been placed on these Gentile believers if that was the case. Now let’s come back again to Galatians Chapter 2 just for a moment. Remember the setting now. Paul had been ministering to Gentiles up at Antioch, where the Scriptures says, “They were first called Christians.” But here we find Peter and the rest of these Jewish believers are all shook up at Paul because he is claiming these Gentiles as saved people, but they’re not keeping the Law of Judaism, and they thought that was impossible so they bring them to Jerusalem.

Galatians 2:4

“And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty (to be free from the Law) which we have in Christ Jesus (as Grace Age believers we’re in Christ, we’re in the Body, and certainly Paul and Barnabas were as well), that they might bring us into bondage.” Now what does that mean? Back under the Law. Oh these Jewish believers at Jerusalem were still trying to hang the Law not only on Paul and Barnabas, but also on those Antioch Gentile believers.

Galatians 2:5

“To whom (Paul says) we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour (they didn’t give in); that the truth of the gospel (Paul’s Gospel that he preached to the Gentile) might continue with you.”

What would have happened to Christianity if these Jewish leaders at Jerusalem would have convinced Paul that the Gentile believers had to subject themselves to the Mosaic system? It would have died, and that would be the end of it. But you see Paul didn’t give in, thanks, of course, to a Sovereign God of all Grace, but nevertheless this is where it was all hanging in the balance, that if Paul would have given in, our Gospel as we now know it, would have died, but of course our God wouldn’t have allowed that. Now drop on down to verse 9. I guess this is why a lot of people don’t like Paul. They don’t like what he says, and so they ignore him.

Galatians 2:9

“And when James, Cephas (Peter), and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship (when they finally comprehended that Paul was on the right track with regard to these Gentiles they finally gave in and said, “Okay, we agree.” So they shook hands on it); that we should go unto the heathen (Gentiles), and they unto the circumcision (Jews).”

Isn’t that as plain as day? This is what introduced this whole Gospel of Grace, that now we Gentiles are not subjected to the Jewish system, we’re not subject to the legalism of Judaism because we’re set free from all of that, and our Gospel is simply believing that Christ died for me and rose from the dead for my Salvation. I did nothing. That doesn’t mean that we stop there. We move on because we have been created unto good works. Absolutely we have. That’s what Paul has been talking about in these previous verses, that we don’t give in to old Adam, we now live above the desires of old Adam, we now have the indwelling Holy Spirit, we have Christ Himself becoming the Head of our daily living. Verse 14 again.

Romans 6:14

“For sin (old Adam) shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”

For the last 1900 + years God has been dealing with the whole human race, not just Gentiles, but even the Nation of Israel on the basis of His Grace. I’ll say it again: “Very few people even among Christendom understand the Grace of God.” I don’t understand it, and don’t even pretend to. It’s far beyond human comprehension. What am I talking about? That the God of creation Himself, one of the Persons in that invisible triune Godhead, stepped out, and took on human flesh, walked among sinful men, subjected Himself to the desires of sinful men, was sinless, and He let them nail Him to a Roman Cross. He permitted it; He could have zapped the whole Roman Empire with one word had He wanted to. But He suffered and died simply because He was ready to pour out Salvation to the whole human race. Now that’s Grace!

And then you take it a little further. Here we are now, especially in our beloved nation with the past 200 years of our Christian heritage, enjoying a standard of living like no other people ever in human history. What is that? Grace. We don’t deserve it. Just because we’re Americans is no reason we have the right to enjoy 90% of the world’s resources with just 6% of its people. But God has seen fit in His Grace to pour it out upon us. And so everything that you and I enjoy, every breath of air, every bite of food, every good thing is Grace, and we don’t deserve it. So this is the whole comprehension of Paul’s Gospel, and that is that God has poured out His Grace, not just upon America and Israel, but rather the whole world. And of course that becomes our responsibility to let the world know that the Grace of God reaches to the vilest person.

Going back a couple of lessons we learned that where sin abounds, the Grace of God is always greater. I read an account one time of Dwight L. Moody, and he had preached a tremendous sermon in Chicago on the Grace of God, and after all the audience had cleared out there was one poor old reprobate sitting on the back row weeping. Moody walked back, and said, “Young man what’s the matter with you?” And the young man said, “Don’t tell me the Grace of God can help, because you don’t know what I’ve been.” This young man had been a recruiter for the prostitution trade of Chicago. And so the man told Moody that because of him countless numbers of beautiful young girls have ended up alcoholics and drug addicts, and many had been murdered or had committed suicide. And then the young man said to Moody, “You mean to tell me that God will still save me?” Dwight L. Moody said, “That’s the Grace of God.” And that is as good an example as you could find other than the Apostle Paul himself. The Grace of God can go far beyond the vilest sinner that we can dream of. It’s almost unbelievable if it weren’t that The Word so clearly declares it.

Romans 6:14b

“…ye are not under the law, but under grace.”